The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the midst of one of the most intriguing stretches of the 2024-25 season. After months of inconsistency, they've seemingly turned a corner, recording their second five-game winning streak since Jan. 22.
For better or worse, one of the primary contributors to the Timberwolves' recent success has been All-NBA power forward Julius Randle.
Despite his accolades and the success of the teams he's starred on, Randle has become one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. In 2020-21, he led the New York Knicks to their first postseason appearance since 2013, winning the Most Improved Player award—a full year before Jalen Brunson joined the orange and blue.
A two-time All-NBA honoree and three-time All-Star, Randle also helped New York reach the playoffs in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
The narrative that followed him throughout his Knicks career, however, was that Randle's style of play didn't necessarily ideally complement a co-star. He's an isolation menace who can use his strength and skill to score and facilitate at impressive levels, but he needs optimal spacing and time to work once he gets the ball.
That's proven to be a point of contention during his first season with the Timberwolves—and his recent success has only presented new questions to the organization.
Julius Randle, Naz Reid a promising pairing—but what about Rudy Gobert?
Randle and Naz Reid have seemingly complemented one another well during recent games. That includes a Mar. 5 win over the Charlotte Hornets during which Randle tallied 25 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, and Jalen McDaniels went off for 29 points and 10 boards.
The next time out, Randle posted 13 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists as the Timberwolves took down the Miami Heat.
With Randle bulldozing opponents on the drive and creating for his teammates, and Reid providing optimal spacing, the Timberwolves seemed to be on to something. Players like McDaniels have become featured more prominently on offense, and the Timberwolves' shooting has improved exponentially.
Minnesota buried 21 three-point field goals against the Hornets and 18 during the win over the Heat in unsustainable yet intriguing performances.
The Timberwolves admittedly continued to shoot the lights out with Gobert back in the lineup against the San Antonio Spurs, going 21-of-42 from beyond the arc. Randle also dished out another 10 assists, but his shooting plumetted to a 5-of-14 night.
As for Reid, he continued to show why he's the gold standard for reserves, posting 20 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range.
Perhaps this all displays how strong Minnesota's depth has become, with Reid and Randle offering an interesting new wrinkle when Gobert is off the court. It could also pose a question about sustainability, however, and how much potential the Timberwolves could be ignoring with a frontcourt pairing that balances one another's strengths and weaknesses.
It's too small of a sample size to put endless stock into, and Randle remains an enigma, but the Timberwolves must at least wonder if starting Reid at center is in their best interest long-term.